1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to generating three-dimensional text within images composited in real time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems are known with which to generate three-dimensional text characters. According to the prior art, said text characters can be represented as a three-dimensional geometric model including polygons constructed from vertices defined by three-dimensional co-ordinates. Alternatively, any of said text character may be used to derive a set of curves defining the outline of said character. This set of curves is transformed into a set of polygons and said set of polygons may be created by converting said curves into sets of connected line segments and then tessellating the polygon defined by said line segments.
Regardless of the method employed to confer image depth to said text characters, as well as of the various three-dimensional spatial transformations, lighting effects and other colourisations which are also well known to those skilled in the art, these text character graphic objects are traditionally transferred to a graphics processor to be manipulated by an animator or editor in order to produce an image that can be further processed, ie integrated into a film or video broadcast.
Therefore, it can be said that three-dimensional characters generated according to the prior art require an editor to be aware of the contents of the image and/or broadcasts within which said three-dimensional text will be implemented, in order to accurately define, transform and render said three-dimensional text. According to said prior art, the contents of said graphical titles always have to be known in advance of the filming of the video sequence, as every successive instantiation of said titles, corresponding to successively changing text contents, has to be designed and rendered in order to ensure that it conforms to position and size imperatives when overlayed onto each frame of the broadcast, thereby precluding live broadcast from benefiting from said three-dimensional text titling effects.
The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a two-dimensional template defined within a three-dimensional space which formats text according to three-dimensional properties such that said text can be rendered as three-dimensional text in real-time.